Posted
by
Soulskill
on Monday April 04, 2011 @03:48PM
from the to-boldly-go-when-traffic's-not-too-heavy dept.

gabbo529 writes "NASA announced recently it will be delaying the upcoming launch of the space shuttle Endeavour — the final one for the well-traveled spacecraft. Endeavour was originally slated to launch April 19, but due to a scheduling conflict with a Russian supply vehicle, NASA is delaying it. Likely, NASA will delay it 10 days to April 29, but nothing is official yet."

Sure, but going to the first and last launch of a vessel that will be shuttered for tech that's even more ancient would mean more. I can see ICBM launches all the time at Vandenberg

Soyuz-TMA is much more modern than an ancient space shuttle. And not by a small amount either. The new TMA-M revision is younger than my youngest kid... in comparison the shuttle was designed before my parents first met... And I "waited until later in life" to have kids.

Sure, but it's still just an ICBM. The Shuttle launch is a completely different animal to watch lift off

I think we are well out of the limits of logical discussion about tangible things, but I wish you well anyway. I'd agree with you if it didn't burn chemical fuel, or did horizontal takeoff, or the (manned?) boosters flew themselves back to the launch site for reuse on the next launch, or it used a launch loop or something equally exotic, but... the physics and chemistry are pretty much the same.

What's the point of having a really sweet ride, if you can't afford to fly it anywhere? As I see it, if the US's space program dies, then the Shuttle killed it. As I see it, there's no place for the Shuttle whether the US chooses to have a space program or not.

What's the point of having a really sweet ride, if you can't afford to fly it anywhere? As I see it, if the US's space program dies, then the Shuttle killed it. As I see it, there's no place for the Shuttle whether the US chooses to have a space program or not.

Maybe rephrased a little: After all the budget cuts, the only purpose remaining for the shuttle was to visit the station, and the only purpose of the station was to have the shuttle visit it. Once one is gone, the other will rapidly follow. And at least superficially we'll never be able to do either again, unless we do both, which makes it quite unlikely. Looks like we're leaving the universe to more advanced countries, like China, Europe...

Yawn. Wake me when they're doing the space science we're doing. Where are their versions of just the stuff we've done in the past decade? [nasa.gov] When are they launcing a hubble or a Stardust or an LCROSS or a Spirit or a Cassini or a Mars Global Surveyor or Deep Space 1? What part of the ISS have they built or ferried? Where is their competitive private industry changing the face of space exploration?

I love how the haters keep brining up the moon like its this great prize. Err, it

I love how the haters keep brining up the moon like its this great prize. Err, it a big universe out there.

It's worth noting that the Earth is by far the most valuable real estate in the Solar System. The Moon happens to be really close (for example, it takes less delta v to put something in Earth orbit from the Moon than it does from Earth and it is a bit over a light second from Earth, making it easy to communicate with stuff on the Moon) while no other serious bodies are. It also has resources (such as oxygen, titanium, aluminum, silicon, etc) and likely resources (such as gold, platinum group metals, water a

Yawn. Wake me when they're doing the space science we're doing. Where are their versions of just the stuff we've done in the past decade? When are they launcing a hubble or a Stardust or an LCROSS or a Spirit or a Cassini or a Mars Global Surveyor or Deep Space 1? What part of the ISS have they built or ferried? Where is their competitive private industry changing the face of space exploration?

I agree strongly. Any serious activity in space requires doing things in space.

Do it! I once lived 80 miles south of the Space Center and the launches were still huge events there. Everyone in the neighborhood would wander out to their driveways (but not the lawns, damn fire ants!) to watch that stream of fire streak through the sky.

I'm going to the launch, too. Realistically, how close do you have to BE in order to really experience it (hear the engines, be able to see it without binoculars, or at least without expensive binoculars, etc)? The closest I've ever come to seeing a shuttle launch in person was back around '94, when there was a night launch on a rare cloudless night, and I was able to stand on the roof (in Miami) and see a small orange blob rising over the horizon for about 14 seconds.

You can hear it from 80 miles away, though you can't see much detail. You might get a pretty good vantage from Titusville or the other suburb-y places near the space center. There's lots of beach-front on the Indialantic within five miles of the launchpad.

Sucks for anyone who's scheduled launch parties or travel plans to view it in person. Though, delays are a shuttle launch staple, so anyone making those kind of plans should be prepared for that sort of thing.

>Sucks for anyone who's scheduled launch parties or travel plans to view it in person.

you simply have to deal with it. continue to sleep in whatever motel (or car) or better yet RV, eat whatever, mitigate time off from work (somewhat unpredictable). From talking with people that witnessed STS launches, the SRB flame is really bright, it's quiet when it leaves the pad then the sound comes roaring. Dammit, I'm going though the trip won't be cheap. I heard the mosquitos are merciless.

Find out when the launch window opens and closes, and plan to be in Florida for the duration.

Book your hotel and car for the duration. If it launches before the last day, you can cancel the rest of the window. In most cases, you can cancel with 24 hours' notice with no fee. With less than 24 hours' notice, you pay for one day.

Watch the launch schedule on websites like spaceflightnow.com. If the schedule changes, prepare to change your plans ASAP.

Wow bummer. I was just there last week to see her sitting on the Launch Pad. Even though the hotel I was staying at was over 40 miles away they have been booked for months.
Everyone should get to KSC and see the space shuttle on the launch pad before the last one goes up. They are already taking apart one of the 2 shuttle launch pads:-(

I think the last shuttle should be left connected to the ISS, after all, in space there's hardly any erosion, so it could be left there just in case it's required for any other spacial activity in the future, it could be used to kickstart the mars travel, as a warehouse, anything, while, once it's grounded, it will never lift off again...

the shuttle isnt designed to stay up for any long period of time, it leaks air (badly) and its power suply isnt specced for long trips. Even if just idling up there, it would need an active cooling system to prevent serious damage from over/underheating.

i guess you could use it as a meteor shield, but it won't take long before that giant uncontrolable floating heap of spacejunk becomes more of a menace to your station then the meteorites